New BMW 2 Series pricing announced

As part of BMW's realignment -- and renumbering -- of its range, the new BMW 2 Series is hitting the sales floors in March priced from $50,500, a rise of $2500 over the 1 Series Coupe it is essentially replacing as a companion to the 1 Series Hatch range.

The entry price gets you into a 220i Coupe, with the mid-range 220d diesel Coupe sitting at $52,500 and the range-topping, performance focused M235i Coupe at $79,900. The 1 Series currently offers 'M' spec only in a hatch version for $64,900, meaning you pay $15,000 extra for the coupe -- but also meaning it's still competitive against the $74,990 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG hatch and might also be against the Audi RS3 currently in testing and tipped to be launched this year.

The 220i carries turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine delivering 135kW of power and 270Nm of torque that peaks at a low 1250rpm. BMW is promising a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds fuel economy of 6.0l100km.

The efficiency leader is the 220d's four-cylinder TwinPower turbodiesel at 4.4L/100km, also with 135kW but a hefty 380Nm of torque, and official 0-100km/h time of 7.1 seconds.

The M235i's turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder delivers 240kW of power -- 5kW more than that M135i hatch -- and 450Nm of torque, getting to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, shaving 0.1 off the M1351 with the same eight-speed sports auto gearbox -- but coming in 0.2 behind the A45 AMG.

The transmission -- mated to all three engines -- features a launch control mode and F1-style steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. BMW is also expected to continue to offer the M135i's six-speed manual, however full specification details will not be available until closer to the launch date.

BMW 2 Series prices
BMW 220i Coupé $50,500
BMW 220d Coupé $52,500
BMW M235i Coupé $79,900

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott